Product Reviews: Butter London Nailpolish




From www.butterlondon.com

This weekend I indulged my inner Anglophile by purchasing two Butter London shades the other day. "Bluey" is from Butter London's Autumn/Winter 2011 collection and described as a "A slightly metallic dark peacock blue, perfect for fashionable birds." Then I got "La Moss" which is a dark blood red "Vampy and full of red wine, just like its inspiration."

When it comes to me you can't go wrong with anything peacock related or blood red in hue.

I love the Butter London image and it does have amazing colors, but at $14 a bottle it better live up to the hype! I just finished painting my nails in "Bluey" before writing this post and aside from the price, there are two things bother me about this nail polish: the cap and the formula.

The square cap comes off leaving you with a small twist-top cap as your true handle with which to apply the polish--something I find odd but not impossible to deal with. What surprised me was how sheer the polish went on. The formula isn't too thick or too runny but it can be streaky. I only achieved a great color payoff after 3 coats. If you're into nail polish, you know how easily a manicure can be ruined if too much polish is applied, so I don't like the fact I need to apply the color so many times. Maybe "La Moss" is different, but for "Bluey" you need all 3 coats.

Butter London is "3 Free." This is a popular term used to describe polish free of Toluene, DBP and Formaldehyde.  The Seattle based company's slogan, which fits the idea of a 3 Free line, is "We believe in colour, not carcinogens." Long story short, you don't want any of those chemicals in your body.

So far I am lukewarm on the polish. We will see how long it wears (part of the hype surrounding Butter London is that it lasts a long time without chipping) but so far it seems that Butter London, as cute as the brand and colors are, can be skipped for something less expensive. Follow me on Twitter to see how the manicure wears and what I finally decide. Feel free to leave your thoughts on Butter London and/or your favorite shades below in the comments!

Garnier Skin-Renew Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller

I adore this product. It has been a staple in my daily makeup (the very little that I wear) for quite some time now. In the hot Florida summer this lightly moisturizing product is great for rushed mornings. There is a tint to it which should conceal slight discoloration under the eye, allowing me to skip under eye concealer all together. Now, I don't have dark circles (just puffiness and some "I didn't sleep well--ever" darkness). This product helps take care of the puffiness and dryness in the eye area. Retailing for about $13 USD it nears the department store range while still being considered, and available in, drugstores.

If you don't have extreme darkness under the eyes and are fair to medium in skin tone, you might want to check this product out. It's a time saver and easy to throw in the purse for touch ups during the day. Here's the official description from the Garnier website:

    Over time, lack of sleep and daily fatigue make eyes look tired. Microcirculation slows and the delicate skin around the eyes becomes thinner and more translucent. Dark circles and shadows appear.
    Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller is right for you if you want to instantly correct the appearance of dark circles and brighten the skin around your eyes:

  • Dermatologist tested for safety

  • Opthalmologist tested

  • Gentle to skin

  • Allergy tested

  • Non-greasy
Have any of you used this before? How do you like it?

Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturizer & Veil Primer




Now that the weather is heating up (even more) here in South Florida and around the country, beauty magazines will be telling you to chuck your liquid foundation for a tinted moisturizer. That's usually fine and dandy...if you have great skin that isn't too oily. A tinted moisturizer is a nice way of getting some sun protection in along with a bit of coverage for any skin discoloration. Until trying out Hourglass Cosmetics Mineral Veil Primer and Illusion Tinted Moisturizer I had only liked Laura Mercier's Oil-Free tinted moisturizer (TM).

The Laura Mercier TM gave me decent coverage and didn't get too shiny too quickly.  On a recent trip to my local Sephora I sampled the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer and the Illusion Tinted Moisturizer,  thinking I would end up hating it. But I have to say they are both amazing products that did not break me out, give great coverage and stay relatively matte! Here's the official rundown on the products

Veil Mineral Primer $52 USD

A clean, satin-finish mineral primer formulated with SPF 15, Veil Mineral Primer restores moisture to dehydrated skin while providing protection from the sun and minimizing shine.
  • MINIMIZES THE APPEARANCE OF LARGE PORES AND FINE LINES
  • PREPS SKIN FOR MAKEUP APPLICATION WHILE EXTENDING ITS DURABILITY
  • NATURALLY-DERIVED TITANIUM DIOXIDE AND ZINC OXIDE PROTECTS SKIN FROM UVA/UVB RAYS
  • OIL-, FRAGRANCE-, PARABEN-, GLUTEN-, SULFATE-, PHTHALATE-FREE AND VEGAN
  • WATER RESISTANT


Illusion Tinted Moisturizer (I use Shell) $55 USD

The perfect alternative to liquid foundation, Illusion is an advanced SPF 15 tinted moisturizer formulated with INSTALIFT® at 3% and Hyaluronic Filling Spheres at 3% to deliver a more radiant youthful complexion.
  • A NATURAL-BASED PEPTIDE, INSTALIFT® VISIBLY LIFTS AND TIGHTENS THE SKIN WITHIN AN HOUR OF APPLICATION
  • INTENSELY MOISTURIZING HYALURONIC FILLING SPHERES HELP MINIMIZE THE APPEARANCE OF FINE LINES AND WRINKLES WHILE INCREASING SKIN’S HYDRATION LEVELS
  • OIL-, FRAGRANCE-, PARABEN-, SULFATE-, PHTHALATE-FREE AND VEGAN
  • WATER RESISTANT 

I love these products--especially when used together. So many companies say you need to use a certain series of products together in order for them to work best, but it usually doesn't matter. This time, with Hourglass, I really do find using the primer and TM together provides the best results. I've also used the primer with regular foundations and haven't had a problem with pilling or breakouts. Of course, nothing keeps my skin completely shine-free all day, but this comes very close without the side-effect of breakouts. I know it's pricey, but if you have trouble finding great base products for your face, they are definitely worth a try!

Waxing 101: A quick guide for the breakout-prone!



Hello lovelies!

It's time for everyone's favorite topic: waxing! (Booooo!) It's a necessary evil for some of us, and for those of us with sensitive skin it can be misery. If you think I'm being over dramatic, ask someone with reactive skin!

On a recent trip to a beauty supply shop I decided to pick up this kit by GiGi after reading about the benefits of blue wax for sensitive skin. The kit comes with a spatula, instructions and 1oz. of blue, stripless wax.

"GiGi Microwave Sensitive Skin Tweezeless Wax offers an easy way to remove unwanted facial hair in just seconds, providing your salon or spa with a great add-on service. The microwave formula melts in seconds, requires no muslin strips and leaves no residue on the skin. GiGi Microwave Sensitive Skin Tweezeless Wax contains Azulene to soothe even the most sensitive skin."

You might have to play with the consistency and temperature before you get it right, but the results are worth it. Very little redness and no breakouts as long as you keep the skin clean. See, I think a lot of times the powder and gels and creams used to prep and then soothe waxed skin are what contribute to breakouts. So, this is my method.

PREP & DISINFECT

Prepare the skin by cleansing your face thoroughly. Make sure you remove all makeup.

Wipe the skin with alcohol or antiseptic tea-tree oil pads like those from Desert Essence.

Make sure the skin is dry so the wax can adhere to facial hair. If you must use a powder, use TALC-FREE baby powder, like Burt's Bees. Talc can cause breakouts.

WAX

Use the spatula to spread a relatively thick layer of wax over the hair you want removed. Make sure all of the edges are thick, so that when you have to remove the wax you can grab onto it. Keeping the edges even also reduces the amount of wax cleanup afterward.

Once the wax hardens, flick off one of the thick ends (as long as it is opposite the direction of the hair growth. This is the end you will grab onto. Pull the skin taught and in one quick motion,  keeping close to the skin, rip the wax off in the opposite direction of the hair growth.

When waxing the upper lip, I find it helpful to press your lips together to loosen the wax from the skin before removal. After that, you know the drill.

SOOTHE & PROTECT

Look for any bits of leftover wax (shouldn't have much if you spread the wax evenly) and pick them off with CLEAN FINGERS (use Purell beforehand).


Now, this is the step some people may find controversial, but it helps keep bacteria away from the pores and is a huge step in keeping me from breaking out: Wipe the area with the tea tree oil pads again. This will clean, disinfect and remove any other wax bits.

After that, splash your face with cold water. I actually like to wash with a very SMALL amount of Panoxyl (available at the drugstore in the acne treatment aisle) to remove any other oil or dirt. Like I said, keeping as clean and germ-free as possible is what has kept me from breaking out. 

Finally, I apply an all-natural antiseptic gel like Lush Cosmetic's Grease Lightning. It doesn't sting but the antiseptic oils and gel consistency are perfect for keeping the pores clean and clear. There are no lotions or heavy creams that will clog the pores and make you break out.

That's MY method of waxing the facial area.  The GiGi wax is great and convenient. You may have to reheat the wax once it goes cold but it only takes a few seconds. Being fuzz-free is worth it!

Do you have any waxing tips you would like to share?

xoxo


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